


Advanced Recruitment Tactics

by astrospecial



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: First Dates, Kissing, M/M, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Rare Pairings, The Claude/Byleth and Claude/Others is slight!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 09:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21034346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrospecial/pseuds/astrospecial
Summary: Byleth's been down-in-the-dumps because Ferdinand won't join their House. Claude takes matters into his own hands to woo Ferdinand to the Golden Deer.





	Advanced Recruitment Tactics

It was something Teach had mentioned to him offhandedly while they were alone in the classroom. Claude had been watching him as he pretended to study (it was heavy armor, always heavy armor lately). Byleth had written a few words, rose the quill to his lips, and rapped his ink-stained knuckles on the desk approximately ten times now. 

“I don’t get it,” Byleth murmured. Claude’s head snapped up from his blank paper.

“What, Teach?”

Byleth sat his quill down with a huff. “Ferdinand von Aegir.”   
  


Something pricked at Claude’s spine; he ignored it. “That Black Eagle guy? What about him?”

“He’s very talented,” Byleth said. Somehow, he was talking to himself now, and his eyes widened as he scrawled across his paper.

“Is that why we’ve been learning how to use heavy armor?” 

Byleth did not reply. Claude sighed and returned to his homework.

——

Ferdinand von Aegir, in Claude’s opinion, was generally unimpressive. He was a lot like Lorenz: he had that same self-important nobleman’s attitude, and from the intel the Black Eagles’ students gave him, he was always prattling on about a nobleman’s duty. However, unlike Lorenz, Claude could admit he was easy on the eyes. Compared to Lorenz’s signature style, it was clear who won the fashion category. Ferdinand’s hair was perfectly coiffed, his uniform free of wrinkles, and he walked the Monastery’s grounds like a king in the making. Maybe it was because Claude did everything in his power to be the opposite of him that made Ferdinand’s refined air so attractive. Regardless of his desires, Claude observed him for a few days, watched him take people to tea and discuss useless things. After a week, when Ferdinand had neither joined their class nor had Byleth’s mood improved, it was clear Claude would have to do the thing he did best: scheming. 

Ferdinand and Hilda were leaving choir practice when Claude pounced. He wormed himself in between them, tossed an arm over Ferdinand’s shoulder and a killing grin. Hilda bristled at his side. He’d have to do her chores to make up for stealing a target.

“Ferdinand, buddy!’ Claude’s voice was the definition of casualness. Ferdinand would be none the wiser about any of his ulterior motives. “How was choir practice?” 

Ferdinand looked down at Claude’s arm before he made eye contact. “It went fine enough. Singing is something nobles should strive to do well in. Although—” his cheeks turned a charming shade of pink— “I will admit, I am not very good.” 

Hilda giggled. “You can say that again, Ferdie! But you’ll get better with more practice!”

They reached the end of the bridge, and Hilda waved goodbye before running off to her next activity. Now that she was gone, Claude realized he should have enlisted her before he began his whole wooing process. She’d have a much easier time. No man inclined towards woman could resist her. And as far as he knew, Linhardt was the only other student at the school interested in men. He was cute, but not his type. Claude knew there had to be others, but until he could find them, Hilda shared the single pain with him. She had yet to work up the courage to talk to Dorothea for longer than a few seconds.

Once Hilda was out of sight, Ferdinand gently extracted himself from under Claude’s arm and turned to him with raised eyebrows. “Do you require something, Claude? I do not mean to be rude, but we have rarely spoken.”

Claude nodded with pursed lips. “I don’t need  _ anything _ except a bit of your time. I had an idea that we should try and increase inter-house relationships, you know?”

“Ah!” All hints of distrust vanished from Ferdinand’s face. “In that case, you can have as much time as you need. I am not sure if you are aware of this, but your reputation, in some cases, precedes you. I had thought that you might—” Ferdinand cut himself off with a sour look. Claude had an idea of what he was going to say, anyway, and he doubted that any of it was wrong. One never knew if Claude had stolen the tournament schedule and was planning on poisoning you to win, after all. He was still somewhat sour that Felix managed to kick his ass with a stomach-ache. “Would you like to go for tea?” 

“I was thinking  _ dinner _ .”

“Oh.” Again, Ferdinand’s face turned crimson. That was a death-sentence for somebody going into politics. Claude had an inane urge to tell him to learn how to control his blushing— a dinner date was nothing to blush over, no matter how Claude made it sound. “At the mess hall?”

Claude leaned against the bridge’s railing, looked at Ferdinand crookedly. There was a bruise under his chin, dusty with powder. He wondered how he had gotten it. Did that guy Caspar deck him, or did Mr. Noble have a secret lover? “How about in town?” 

Ferdinand let out a breath with a smile. “Perfect— the food the mess hall is serving today is not my favorite. I would have eaten with you anywhere, but I would much rather eat something…” 

“Edible?”

“Exactly!” 

They settled on the time and would meet at the Monastery’s gate. In the awkward silence, Ferdinand said he had stable-duty and fled in that direction, leaving Claude to go about with the rest of his day. Unfortunately, it was filled with images of Ferdinand.

——

Claude picked at his fish. It was tender and savory, not like the burnt leather he had the last time they served it at the dining hall. 

“So. Ferdie, huh?”

Ferdinand’s head snapped up from his plate. “What?”

“That’s what Hilda called you, wasn’t it?” Claude put on his best reassuring smile. The only people it had yet to make them blab all their secrets were Byleth and Hilda. At this point, Claude was seriously doubting if they were even  _ aware  _ of their secrets.

“Oh, I suppose it was.”

“You two must be close.”

“Not particularly. The people I’m closest to call me by name.”

Claude stabbed at some noodles and tried to find a way to eat them without offending Ferdinand’s noble sensibilities. Pasta was a mistake. “Well, do you  _ want  _ to be closer to her? Don’t you think she’s pretty?”

Ferdinand’s face darkened, and he sat his fork down on his plate. “Is this why you invited me out? If you have designs to court Hilda, I must say that I had no intention to ever get in your way.”

Claude covered his laugh with a cough. Him and Hilda? Was that what people thought? Gods, he loved her— like a sister. Somehow Ferdinand’s face grew more appalled. 

“Absolutely not.” Another laugh bubbled up in Claude’s throat and he cleared it, took a sip of water. None of it helped him regain his composure. Hilda would die when he told her about this— not just their supposed relationship status, but this whole wild plan that wouldn’t end up working. “She’s my— well, she’s not my type.”

Ferdinand eyed him warily, then went back to eating his steak.

“So, Ferdie, she’s all yours if you wanna try and woo her.” Emphasis on  _ try.  _ The only student who had grabbed her romantic attention was Dorothea, but in the meantime, she was gladly taking all the gifts suckers were sending her way. “I’ll wish you good luck now.” 

“She’s not my type either,” he said sullenly. He chewed a piece of steak with a deadly glare. Where had that good-natured Ferdinand he’d walked in with gone? Away at all mention of girls apparently.

“Oh? What is your type, then?”

“Does it matter? We enrolled in the Officer’s Academy to study, not to date.”

“There’s always the ball, you know. Those are a lot more fun with somebody at your side. C’mon. I’ve got all the connections. I could set you right up with the lucky gal.” Claude paused, and with a smile, added, “Or guy.”

Ferdinand coughed. Once, twice, and his eyes bulged, and oh, shit, he was choking. Claude jumped from his seat and slapped Ferdinand’s back. Would he be expelled if Ferdinand choked to death on this date? He put all his new heavy armor strength into another pound, and a piece of half-chewed steak flew out of Ferdinand’s mouth and splatted right into Claude’s pasta.

Ferdinand sputtered half gasps into his hand. “Goddess, Claude— I am— I sincerely apologize.” He gulped down his glass of water, face pale. Like he would throw up in Claude’s pasta, too.

“It’s alright,” Claude said, staring at the chewed up steak on his plate. He’d eaten worse in his lifetime, but, damn it, he had been looking forward to eating the rest of it. “I didn’t know I’d be wrong enough to make you choke.”

Ferdinand chuckled, voice rough and weak. “Too right, to be honest.” As soon as the sentence left his mouth, he froze.

Claude was suddenly very interested. He sat back down in his chair, leaned back and pressed a hand to the side of his face: what Hilda called his seduction pose.

Ferdinand’s face grew even paler. Claude fancied he could see his heart pounding through his uniform. “Forget I said that, Claude, please—“

“You don’t have anything to worry about, Ferdinand. Honest.” He was going out on a limb here, but to hell with it— the worst thing that could happen was that their dinner was ruined, and considering Claude’s  _ was,  _ he could only go up from here. “I was just surprised. I didn’t think I’d meet someone as handsome as you at the Monastery who also leaned my way.  _ Pleasantly  _ surprised.”

Ferdinand’s liquid caramel eyes widened, and gods, Claude had reached the pinnacle of desperateness if he was waxing poetic about a man who projectile-spat into his dinner. “You? Really?”

“Do you want me to prove it?” Claude knew a few ways he could, and apparently, Ferdie also knew a few of his own, cause he buried his face in his hands and shook his head wildly. 

“Well, the offer still stands.” With a sigh, Claude motioned for the waitress, who took his half-eaten plate away. 

“Again, I sincerely apologize...here, please. Have some of mine.” Ferdinand cut a piece for himself, then pushed his plate to Claude.

“If you insist.” Claude plucked Ferdinand’s fork from his hands and ate the steak. Ferdinand’s jaw was almost unhinged from his head, and Claude couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he passed the fork back. No matter what Hilda said about his flirting tactics, laying it on thick was so much fun. Especially with somebody like Ferdinand who had likely never gotten any male-attention he was  _ aware  _ of receiving. He probably had as much fun with his reckless flirting as Hilda did with making people do her work.

Ferdinand cleared his throat, but his voice still came out in a strained rush. “I believe I am done if you are?”

“We can get a new fork if that’s it.”

“No! I would rather we go. My appetite— I fear the choking fit ruined it.”

Claude leveled a look at him, but Ferdinand’s downturned eyes revealed nothing but embarrassment. He shrugged and paid the check.

——

The summer night was warm but not unbearably so. There was a chill breeze, but as darkness approached while they weaved in and out of the town’s shops, the air around them got cooler and cooler. Ferdinand walked like he was trying not to make it obvious he was running away.

When they reached the final few shops in the town, Claude grabbed his arm before Ferdinand could blaze past him. “Listen, Ferdinand. If I made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry. Hilda always says I come on too strong.”

Ferdinand turned to face him, eyes fixed on the ground. “It’s not you. I do not have time for dating, so this is new to— was this a date?” He looked up, eyes far too hopeful and far too brown for a first date.

Claude couldn’t look away. If he did, he’d ruin all of this. “Do you want it to be?”

“I am not sure.”

“That’s alright. It’s whatever you want it to be.” Claude grinned, and it wasn’t even forced or calculated. Gods, it was a good thing Linhardt and he had decided that they were both un-attracted to each other, or he’d be asking for his hand in marriage by now! He could detach himself from his later— for now, he let the grin in all its honesty stay. “I do know that I had a lot of fun.”

Ferdinand smiled. It was sweet and small and unlike him, but maybe this was Ferdinand when he was stripped of all his noble posturing. “I did, too.”

Claude took a deep breath, not sure what to say. He took the easy route. “We should probably get heading back before the nuns have our heads.”

“Right.”

They started the walk back, and they had taken only a few steps before Ferdinand cleared his throat. 

“Say, Claude? Have you ever— have you ever kissed another man?”

It was tempting to mess with him, but the look on his face was too earnest. Claude wasn’t  _ that  _ cruel. “I have once. Once with a girl, too.” For all his flirting, he didn’t date much.

“Who? Someone here?”

“Trying to replace me, huh?” 

Ferdinand looked properly offended. “Of course not!”

“I’m just kidding. No, they were both a long time ago.” That was a lie— his first kiss was with Linhardt. He had seemed shocked when he learned Claude had never kissed another guy before and volunteered. It was chaste, and, well, unimpressive. What he had been expecting, he had no idea. “I take it you haven’t kissed another guy?”

“No, never. To be honest, I thought I would never meet someone who felt like me. I had thought I was the only one…” His face twisted. “Of course, I knew that there were people like me, but I had never seen any nobles who shared my persuasion. I did not think it was an option.” With a sigh, he kicked a pebble on the street. Claude watched it skitter off into the alley’s shadows. “It likely still is not.”

“You’ve got all year, bud. I mean, all year to do what you want. It’s impossible to escape our expectations, but here, we don’t have any breathing down our neck but to be good students.” The stars were shining on the approaching Monastery. Despite everything, he knew that their time at the Monastery would come to an end eventually. Ferdinand would have to marry a pretty noblewoman, and Claude would assume his role as the leader of the Leicester Alliance. “We should live it up. Do something fun.”

“You do something fun every day, Claude.”

“You wound me! Not  _ every _ day. Last week Byleth made me track down all the overdue books because I said I’d, er, employ some  _ different  _ types of tactics.” 

Ferdinand shook his head, laughing. “That was your own fault.” As he spoke, they came to the town’s outskirts. They’d both be going the same way in the Monastery, but it wouldn’t be the same. Some of the magic that made them feel like they were the only ones in the world would disappear. Then they would just be students again. 

“I had fun today, Ferdinand. Pasta notwithstanding.”

Ferdinand winced. “I will apologize again. You  _ must _ allow me to make it up for you at a later date.”

“Already plans for the second date? I like it.” 

“I would like it as well.” He paused. “I know this might be a lot to ask, but...may I kiss you?”

Claude almost tripped. He caught himself on Ferdinand’s shoulder, and Ferdinand grabbed his arm, but his legs kept moving. There was an uncomfortable pop in his arm as his knee hit the pavement and his hand scraped on the rocks. 

“Claude! Are you alright?”

“Fine,” Claude said through gritted teeth. Ferdinand helped him up. Claude brushed the rocks from his hand and examined his knee in the lantern light. His uniform pants were torn. 

“But you are bleeding! Here, you may use my coat…”

“It’s alright, really.” Claude dabbed the blood with his sleeve. He couldn’t hide his wince, especially when he moved his shoulder. 

Ferdinand worried his bottom lip with his teeth. “I do not even know what to say. Perhaps this is why I never went on dates.”

“Seriously, it’s fine.” Claude put on his best reassuring smile. “A kiss might make me feel better.”

In the lantern light, Ferdinand’s whole face was an orange to match his hair. All detractors aside, the blushing was charming. Claude decided he wasn’t going to say anything.

Which was good, because Ferdinand leaned in, and with speed Claude hadn’t known he possessed, pressed the chastest kiss to Claude’s lips. Claude couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything. Ferdinand’s lips against his had frozen him to his spot and sent his cheeks burning. Gods, his lips were  _ tingling!  _

Ferdinand pulled away, covered his mouth with his hand. He looked like he would pass out. For a moment, Claude forgot about all his planning, his big scheme, and moved Ferdinand’s hand. Claude kissed him then, as gently as his pounding heart would allow. It was odd feeling Ferdinand melt into him, feeling his rough hand smooth along Claude’s arm. Somehow his hand was in Ferdinand’s soft hair, the other gripping his waist. This was what kissing was supposed to feel like, he thought.

When he pulled away, Claude prayed to every god he knew that he didn’t look as dazed as he felt. But when he staggered a little, and Ferdinand beamed at him, he knew he must have. 

Hilda would laugh for days when he told her. He decided not to.

——

When, four days later, Byleth’s mood had increased considerably, Claude wasn’t surprised when Ferdinand walked into their class on Monday. He wasn’t surprised, either, when he shyly took a seat next to him, and Hilda had given him the ‘tell-me-everything-that-happened’ look. Claude was going to, sure, but then Ferdinand took his hand underneath the table with a bright-red look of worry on his face. His own cheeks burned, and he most definitely wasn’t surprised when she huffed a sigh. Everything she wanted to know was already on Claude’s face. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I AM FERDINAND VON AEGIR  
Ferdie's actually the best 3H character. You can't change my mind. And I wish he and more of the GDs would have gotten supports...  
Thanks for reading!!!  
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